http://unitedanduntied.com/time-of-your-life-dont-miss-it/

Time of Your Life (Don’t miss it)

A lot has to go right in a day to have another one.

Ever think about that?

From a pure risk-management standpoint, how many risks land in your favour when you stop for coffee, drive to work, climb the stairs, stand in the shower, get kids on the bus?

Or what about everything that needs to go right environmentally? How did the weather roll in? How were today’s wind-speeds? How did the ocean rise and fall? Did the tectonic plates under your feet stay put? Did the sun warm the globe to temperatures within the narrow tolerances to sustain your life?

From a physiological level, how many times did your heart beat today? How many breaths did you take? What did you digest? What did you come in contact with that you can’t even see that your body guarded you from?

Let’s take it down to the cellular level. How did the 2 trillion cells (or so) that divide for you every day make out? (cell division 101) Did the mitochondria in every one of your cells get enough oxygen to power the cell, the organ, your body? Even just a shallow dive into your cellular and molecular biology is enough to awe and amaze.

So, is every day a gift?

What a cliche.

Or is it?

Every day, so much has to go right for you and me to have another one.

And most days, we do get another one.

I call that grace.

Grace is underserved kindness. Unearned favour.

I did absolutely nothing to deserve this new day, my breath, my heartbeat, my consciousness. It was just given to me. Why?

Every day and every breath is unearned, it’s grace. Every heartbeat is undeserved, it’s grace. Every conscious thought, every replicated cell, every successful step is grace.

Just given.

Kind of like how Christmas was just given. A baby came, a baby that was supposed to be a gift to all mankind. Why?

There’s a bigger picture.

I believe there’s a God. A God who gives life to all living things.

But what’s more, this God loves you. He loves you so much He gave you his son so that you could believe, live, and be loved forever. (John 3 :16)

Of course, that statement is intensely simplified. There is so much beauty and awe and wonder in the Christmas Story I can’t possibly explain and capture it all right here, right now. In fact, writers, preachers and teachers all over the world for millennia have tried, but on this side of eternity we only get short, glorious glimpses.

If you’re not even sure Jesus existed, I get that. Did you know that nearly every historian believes he did? The real question is, who was he? So – be curious. It’s ok to explore. It’s exciting to explore.

This Christmas, my challenge for anyone reading is simple.

Consider the grace that is your life. Every breath, every heartbeat.

Every day is grace. Every day is a gift.

Because a lot has to go right in a day for you to have another one.

Christmas is the ultimate grace. Because Christmas isn’t just about this life. It’s about forever.

Embrace this grace.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Sarah

Sarah according to Justin – brings a kindness, compassion and empathy to every conversation she finds herself in. She has a remarkable gift for reaching out and leaving others better than when she met them. She’s also a devoted, patient, and loving wife and mother with a passion for seeing God’s love realized in this world.